The Breakdown
We start out this week in the grocery store with Stevie, his wife Maria, and their 30 or so kids, all of whom are named after Kenny, and all of whom have no respect for their father. Once they get to the register, Stevie’s card isn’t working, and Maria wants him to use the food-stamps. Well, the once-great-assistant to Kenny Powers has a better idea; he bolts out of the store with the groceries. But only makes it about 3 feet with them before ditching and making a run for it. Heroic none the less.
Over at casa-del Powers, Kenny is hard at work digging his pool, which as he tells his kids will help increase property values. April comes outside, and Kenny tells her about getting back into drugs have lifted the veil from off his eyes, and he sees now that he needs a life of fame, money, and adventure. Afterward, he heads to the TV studio in order to meet Guy, and let him know that The Man With The Golden Dick is now back. He’s offered a guest spot on Guy’s show, Sport Sesh, which Kenny happily accepts.
Now that the revolution is back in full force, Kenny heads over to Stevie’s house to recruit him. While there, we see that Stevie’s life is pretty sad. His kids hate him, and apparently don’t grow teeth, while his wife feels Stevie isn’t a man because he isn’t paying the bills via teaching local kids the saxophone. Kenny lets him know that it’s game time once again, but for some reason Stevie isn’t as receptive as he was in the past. He tells him that he can’t join him on this venture, to which Kenny sees as heresy, and Stevie’s immediate announcement that he’s become Kenny’s sworn enemy. This of course leads to Stevie getting his cupboard punched, and his chandelier thrown to the ground.
At home, Kenny is back in classic attire, with the fringe, Baseball belt buckle [which was designed by co-creator Ben Best], and snake-skin cowboy boots. He looks to April for confidence, but feels that she isn’t behind him. As she insists on worrying about money & the families future and blah blah, you know, chick stuff. Now solo, Kenny heads to the show where he meets the gang, as well as another member of the crew not with them previously, Dontel Benjamin. He’s an obnoxious prick who constantly talks over people, is an attention whore, and is clearly one of those people who can dish it, but not take it. Once the show gets going, Kenny bombs, while the entire world watches. Dontel walks all over him and made him look a fool, in between Kenny not paying attention and staring at the bright lights. Afterward, Kenny still seems confident, and asks Guy where they go from here. Where they go from here is nowhere, Guy basically says. He lets him know that he was terrible, and that Guy was hoping for a man who obviously never exists. Kenny says that the man Guy wants does exist, that he’s there, and just needs another shot. Guy gives Kenny another shot, on the condition that if Dontel gets going again, Kenny kicks his ass.
The next day, Kenny is in his backyard practicing some deadly form of martial art when Stevie comes by. The two men make a mends, and Stevie says that Kenny is right. That they deserve all the world has to offer, and if it won’t be given, it will be taken. At this point we get a montage of Stevie training Kenny for the next show. Everything from quips, basketball, and smoothing out your slacks before sitting down. The day finally arrives, with Kenny in a sharp new suit, and an $80,000 Viper. Once they hit the studio, Kenny freaks out, and becomes lost in the lights again. Stevie begs him to regain composure, but it doesn’t happen, that is, until April shows up. Just as she did in the first season, she arrives to give Kenny the confidence he so desperately needs. Once the show gets going, Kenny is the man he was destined to be and destroys Dontel in a comeback that’s even sweeter than when he knocked out Macworthy’s eye. It’s a great moment that shows just how superior the show is to all other comedies out there. ESPECIALLY anything that’s on network TV. Kenny basks in his glory, and with that we’re out.
The Analysis
A great episode that delivered the goods in terms of comedy & story in the unique way that only Eastbound & Down can do. It was different from others in that it was self-contained, and didn’t really let you in on what’s coming up next. Hopefully this’ll lead to Kenny doing the talk-show circuits and getting in fist-fights with the Kardashians. I ask for so little, so I don’t think it’s too much for them to deliver that.
